October 19, 2018

A park for encounters

The area formerly occupied by the Swatch Group will be transformed into the “Central Plaza” at Baselworld 2019 featuring better services for the media and new restaurants, bars and lounges.

A new media centre, new restaurants, bars and lounges, all embedded in a park-like setting - this is how Baselworld 2019 will welcome journalists and visitors in the heart of Hall 1.0. “We examined and sketched various scenarios to determine how best to utilise the space which became available after Swatch Group’s withdrawal,” explained Managing Director Michel Loris-Melikoff. “In close coordination with the Comité Consultatif (Exhibitors’ Committee), we decided to redesign the area in a unified style and to set important new accents. The decision was to not use the space for exhibitors, but instead to create a park-like environment for encounters and dialogue.”

The new media centre, which will be relocated here, provides more room and better working conditions for journalists, photographers, bloggers and influencers. They will have 60% more space than in the past, allowing more than 120 journalists to work here simultaneously. They will also now centrally receive their accreditations here. “The media transmit news and messages from our exhibitors to the wide world. Optimally supporting them in this task is one of my key objectives for Baselworld 2019,” says Michel Loris-Melikoff.

Alongside workspaces, cloakrooms and lockers, the new media centre will also be equipped with lounges and a bar. This will shorten pathways between the journalists and the brands at Baselworld and vice versa. Furthermore, Baselworld’s website and chatbot will give journalists speedy access to press material from Baselworld’s exhibitors. In addition, Hall 1 will be open exclusively for the media all day on the Wednesday prior to the official opening of the show.

The new restaurants in the Central Plaza will be open all day to serve exhibitors and visitors. Exhibitors can also hire a separate area for their own events. “With regard to the atmosphere, this enables us to set new accents in Hall 1.0”, affirms Michel Loris-Melikoff. “Baselworld 2019 will also prioritize culinary experiences and casual dialogues much more strongly than in the past.”